The Last Pecans ... at last!

The Last Pecans ©2010 by Karen Mathison Schmidt
30 x 24 x 2 • acrylic on 2" cradled Gessobord
sides painted burnt umber • unframed
gloss varnish

SOLD

Here’s a large painting of my Dad walking back to the house after squeezing a couple more buckets full of pecans from the trees in the south pasture a few weeks ago.

I love working on larger boards, even though it takes a little longer. It’s easy to overwork a large painting, though. I keep having to remind myself to keep it loose!

This one has lots of color layers, especially in the foreground, where I used a combination of palette knife and brushes.

Here are some brushwork details:

Falling Back

October Evening © 2009 Karen Mathison Schmidt
30 x 24 x 2 • acrylic on 2" cradled Gessobord


sides painted dark brown
gloss varnish for protection
& easy cleaning
unframed

$520 • PURCHASE this Louisiana landscape painting

I love this view of the north pasture, where a smallish pond has overflowed its banks because of the heavy rains we had all through October.

The daylight hours are getting a litter shorter every day now, and since I don’t like to paint by artificial light that leaves less time to paint. Added to the fact that this is a larger than usual painting, it took a little longer to finish, but oh, so fun to do! Lots of layered color glazes, and different textures. I used quick little brushstrokes and a lot of transparent glazing medium mixed with each of the colors (vermilion, cadmium yellow light, brilliant blue, fuschia, white -- layered on separately) to try to capture the radiance of the sky; and a painting knife for the heavy texture of the foreground grasses.

Here are some brushwork details, followed by the work-in-progress photos:

WORK-IN-PROGRESS photos:






In yesterday’s post you can see more detail on how I developed the foreground:

... and here again is the final painting:

I love painting.

WORK IN PROGRESS ...



I love to paint. I love painting animals. I love painting flowers.

But I especially love painting landscapes.

This one is bigger than my usual: 30 x 24 inches. It’s a picture of the overflowing pond out in the north pasture across our road, with the tall grasses along the roadside in the foreground. I think the finished painting will look a lot different from this progress photo. I’ll just have to see where this one takes me ...

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

OK, now back to work!

20 x 16 x 1 • acrylic on cradled Gessobord

SOLD • private collection, Placitas, New Mexico

These black-eyed susans grow wild, along with the honeysuckle and morning glories, just about everywhere around here in the summer. I love ’em! For this painting I started out with a blending of images from two different locations; one less than a mile from our place,


and the other a few miles farther north. (I flipped the road around for my composition.)


My number one rule when I start a new painting is: Don’t skimp on the amount of time you spend on planning the composition. Sometimes I go a little overboard on this, but it’s really, really difficult to get a strong painting out of a weak composition. Some artists can do their composing as they go, but I am definitely NOT one of those artists. I really have to decide on my subject arrangement right at the beginning.

Which is not to say that I consider the initial arrangement set in stone or anything; I mean, you have to be flexible as you go. You never know when the painting might take on a life of its own and some element of the composition will practically demand to be changed.

Mostly what happens to me, though, is that the color and light change as I go, and I’ll accidentally do something and go, “oh no ... oh, cool ... I think I’ll keep that." I love it when that happens.

A few years ago I spent some time with the local art council teaching kids to paint after school, and I wrote down some of the things they would say about making art. One of my favorites: "I didn’t mean for that part to look like that, but I think it’s kind of cool, so I’m gonna let it stay that way.”

Here are some close-up details of today’s painting:

Ye Old Homestead

Homestead ©2009 Karen Mathison Schmidt

18 x 24 x 1 • acrylic on 1" cradled Gessobord

SOLD • private collection, Trophy Club, Texas

We pass this house every time we drive into town. We used to think it was abandoned, but someone is keeping the little lawn mowed, then we found out it’s owned by the family that lives just across the highway from it. I think they use it for an office for their farm operation. I love the way it looks – a house with a little yard surrounded by giant pecan trees, right out there in the middle of the hayfields.

My idea for this one was for the focal point, the house, to be the most detailed part of the painting, with the foreground, the tall grasses that grow out by the highway, to be very impressionistic, almost abstract. I used brushes and painting knives on this, and layer upon layer of color to develop the wildness and texture of the foreground.

Here are some details:

Vivid!

untitled painting in progress
18 x 24 x 1 • acrylic on cradled gessobord


So here’s the underpainting for my new one. It feels so great to get back to painting again!

Gotta run ... I’m trying a new catfish recipe tonight for dinner, and I better get cookin’.

I’ll let you know how it comes out.

A visual prayer

In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.

Isaiah 30:15

Dawn ©2009 Karen Mathison Schmidt
6 x 6 • acrylic on Gessobord
SOLD • private collection, North Attleboro, Massachusetts

I can’t believe I get to live here. I may talk bad about the hot, humid summer and the yucky bugs and snakes, but early in the morning when I’m out walking with the dogs and we get to see things like this ... well, it’s sort of like a visual prayer ... the earth quietly praising God ... I’m just so blessed to be a part of it all.

Oh, and I’ve discovered another favorite color: Old Delft Blue. Deep and rich, and slightly on the purple side. But not too much. Just enough.

Oops, I only took 3 work in progress photos! When I went to download them from my camera, I thought, is that all I took?

Well, here they are:

The initial sketch in a mixture of black and that Old Delft Blue



Blocking in the color areas.



Here I added a fuschia glaze to the sky and started adding color layers to define the land and the water. This is where I slipped into the zone and totally forgot to take any more progress pics. I’ll try to do better next time!


Oh, and somewhere along the line I changed the trees from May trees to February trees. Artist’s perogative.

Here are some close-up details: